This invention relates to lifting brackets for use in lifting workstation panels to facilitate access beneath the panel, for example, for carpeting, wiring, etc.
Many offices use workstations made from a plurality of panels that are secured together to create private or partially enclosed spaces for their employees. These workstations sit on the carpet or other flooring in the office and typically are wired to connect a computer at the workstation to a network in the office. When the office is redecorated, such as by recarpeting the office, the workstations must be moved to allow the carpet installer access underneath the workstation. This generally requires that the workstation be disassembled during the recarpeting and then reassembled after the recarpeting. As can be appreciated, disassembling all the workstations that might be in an office can be quite disruptive. It would be beneficial if carpeters or the like could gain access beneath the workstations without the need to disassemble the workstations. It would be equally beneficial to allow for easy access to cabelers (i.e. for laying computer network cables) to the area beneath a workstation when laying cables for a computer network or telephone systems, or simply to provide electricity to the workstation.
A workstation panel lifting bracket of the present invention is adapted to be mounted to a jack to raise a workstation panel off the floor a sufficient distance to allow for access beneath the panel, for example, to lay flooring or carpeting, or to provide wiring (computer, telephone, electrical, etc.) to the workstation. The bracket comprises a generally horizontal top plate that is adapted to be mounted to the jack. A leg extends downwardly and forwardly from a forward edge of the top plate. Preferably, the leg forms an angle of about 80xc2x0 to about 85xc2x0 with the bracket top plate. A foot extending forwardly from a bottom end of the leg. An upwardly turned lip is preferably formed at the end of the foot. To provide stability to the bracket, jack, and panel during raising and lowering of the panel, the bracket also include a brace on the leg. The brace has a front surface and opposed side surfaces. The side surfaces are generally triangular in shape, and the brace front surface is in a plane substantially perpendicular to a plane of said top plate. Preferably, the brace front face is approximately as long as the leg.
The bracket can also be provided with a reinforcing member at a bottom of the leg. The reinforcing member includes a first leg and a second leg. The reinforcing member first leg is fixed to the bracket leg and extends below the end of the bracket leg. The reinforcing member second leg extends from a bottom of the first leg to the bracket foot. Preferably, the second leg engages the foot near the forward or free end of the foot.
In the illustrative embodiment shown in the drawings and described below, the bracket top plate includes an opening. The jack includes an axially movable cylinder with a button raised above the top of the cylinder by a rod. To mount the plate to the jack, the plate is positioned over the jack button, such that the hole surrounds the jack rod. A collar is then positioned around the jack rod between the bracket top plate and the cylinder button.